So what if she's my sister-in-law? You seduced me first.

Xie Xun touched her rosy lips, his eyes filled with a bloodshot desire, and said hoarsely, "One minute she says she hates me, the next she says she misses me, which one should I believe?"

"I spoke rashly that day, Your Majesty, please don't hold it against me. I really miss Your Majesty."

Her voice was filled with an indescribable tenderness, and a dark glint flashed in his slightly lowered eyes.

"Is he really begging me just to avoid being imprisoned?"

Ning Yu didn't dare to coax him too much; he was extremely suspicious. She buried herself in his arms, tightening her grip on him, "If I don't plead with His Majesty, is he really going to imprison me for life?"

"So what if I lock you up for life?"

"You bastard! Ning Yu looks at his handsome appearance, but he's a wicked scoundrel with a poisonous heart. Anyone who actually believes his outwardly aloof and self-possessed demeanor is not far from death."

She pretended to be unhappy and nestled in his arms without saying a word.

She was annoyed, but Xie Xun was pleased. His warm hand slid down her chest and covered her stomach. "Do you want to keep this child?"

"Being pregnant is so painful, and His Majesty didn't even come to see me that day."

"I'll ask you one more time, will you keep the child or not?"

Ning Yu knew he was bothered by what she had said that day, so she didn't dare to talk about anything else. In a coquettish voice, she said, "Yes."

The next moment, her waist was suddenly lifted up, and with a thrust of his knee, she sat on his waist and legs.

The series of actions happened so fast that Ning Yu was momentarily stunned before he pressed her head down and sealed her lips with his.

It had been so long since Xie Xun had been close to her, his whole body was screaming for release, and just kissing her made his scalp tingle with pleasure.

Ning Yu's eyes welled up with tears from his kisses, making her look beautiful and charming, her voice indescribably tender and alluring.

His strength was so great it felt like he was going to kill her; her clothes were torn open, and she tried to push him away.

Even through the fabric, he kissed her, and she froze, unable to move, letting him kiss her.

"Child, there's another child inside you--"

Xie Xun paused, then grabbed her neck.

Ning Yu saw that his eyes were full of bloodshot, and angrily punched his leg.

That shameless, dog-like emperor.

After leaving the Imperial Garden, Xiao Zhiliu got into a carriage and returned to his residence.

He leaned back lazily against the soft pillows, glanced at his sister whose expression was clearly not good, and chuckled inwardly, "What, are you jealous?"

Xiao Yunnuan knew that her third brother didn't truly care for her, so she didn't whine or act coquettishly, but calmly picked up a cup of tea.

"There are so many women in the palace, I'm jealous of them all. Should I even continue living like this?"

"Let me tell you, His Majesty is not a man who cherishes women. It's better to find a suitable marriage with someone of equal social standing by relying on the family's influence than to become a concubine in the palace. Your father dotes on you, so you can ask your father to speak to your grandfather."

She wasn't the only legitimate daughter of the Xiao family. Xiao Yunnuan knew that if she refused to enter the palace, her father would help her, but she—

Seeing that she had lowered her eyes and remained silent, Xiao Zhiliu didn't bother with her anymore and leaned against the soft pillow, closing her eyes.

"Third Brother, that woman is the Ning family's daughter raised at their villa. I heard she looks a lot like the late Princess Consort."

Xiao Zhiliu laughed, without even opening her eyes, and lazily lied to her, "Isn't it normal for sisters to look alike?"

"But I heard the ladies at the banquet say that they had never heard of the Ning family having a daughter. Where did she come from?"

"Are you aware that your father has a mistress in Xianyang?"

Xiao Yunnuan was taken aback. "What did you say?"

Xiao Zhiliu clicked her tongue and said, "You're not a simple person, don't play dumb with me."

"---" Xiao Yunnuan's face darkened at his words, and she snorted, "That Aunt Shen is no simple woman either, Third Brother, don't be fooled."

"I'd rather be fooled."

Not wanting to see his pathetic state, Xiao Yun turned away in annoyance.

The daughter of a minor official of the fifth rank became a widow, yet the emperor took a liking to her, snatched her back to the palace, and even wanted to make her empress. This Miss Ning was truly shrewd.

Her brows furrowed as she recalled the scene from just moments ago, her hand tightening around the handkerchief.

Upon returning to the Xiao family, Xiao Zhiliu went directly to her main residence and summoned Shen Qingge.

"Young master, your concubine has gone to serve the old lady and is not in the Begonia Pavilion."

Xiao Zhiliu knew that his family looked down on Shen Qingge's background. Such things happened all the time. He would stand up for her if he saw it, and pretend he didn't know if he didn't.

But ever since his mother arranged the marriage, Shen Qingge's attitude towards him has changed, a subtle and imperceptible distance.

He felt something was off, so he thought he should treat her better. Lately, no one in the manor had dared to provoke her, so why would his grandmother suddenly ask her to serve him?

"Aren't a few hundred people enough to serve?" Xiao Zhiliu thought unhappily. "Go and bring them back."

"Yes."

Shen Qingge went to the old lady's small kitchen in the morning. The married young lady had returned with her son-in-law. She was pregnant and had a poor appetite, so she wanted to eat the local-style wild hot pot from the southwest.

They said she came from the southwest region, so her cooking must be more authentic than that of chefs in the capital. They asked her to keep an eye on things.

"I heard your aunt came to beg for money again last year. How much silver did you give her, Third Brother? She's really ungrateful."

Shen Qingge blushed and put down her things, wanting to leave, but the old lady glanced at her sweaty forehead and said gently, "Eat here with me today, sit down quickly."

Shen Qingge dared not disobey the old lady who was still kind to her, and sat down obediently in an inconspicuous corner.

Xiao Zhuyan is right, Xiao Zhiliu has indeed spent too much money on her.

After their parents died, their younger brother was still young. Their uncle and aunt seized the money from the shop their parents had left behind. After raising them for a few years, they said the children had grown up and then kicked them out of the house to fend for themselves.

Later, she entered the government office, and her younger brother passed the imperial examination. Her aunt often came to harass them. After she entered the Xiao family, she somehow found out about Xiao Zhiliu and came to the capital to ask for a large sum of money.

Xiao Zhiliu smiled and brought the person to her side, providing them with good food and drink for several days, and even gave them money when they left.

He witnessed her repeated humiliations and always gave her a lot of money when that family came to visit each year.

She had made a scene, but Xiao Zhiliu said that money was the last thing he lacked and he was willing to give it to her, not wanting her to have no relatives to visit.

But the Xiao family didn't know about this. It must be that her aunt had been rebuffed by her and somehow found Xiao Zhuyan to ruin her reputation.

She really didn't understand what Xiao Zhiliu was thinking. She had seen him kill people before; he had killed people silently before. Why would he keep those people alive?

The thought had barely crossed her mind when Shen Qingge was shocked by her own idea; she actually wanted to kill that whole family.

She was so angry that every year, under the pretense of having raised her and her brother, he openly asked Xiao Zhiliu for money.

She thought he was an easy-to-scam rich young master who even wanted money to build a house, and she also wanted him to help send her good-for-nothing cousin to the Xiao family school.

But Xiao Zhiliu ignored the matter, gave her money and sent her away. Then the aunt came to her for help, and she naturally took the opportunity to scold her and drive her away.

The aunt looked terrible when she left; she looked like she wanted to eat her alive.

"Madam, the Third Master's men just arrived. They said they need to see Consort Shen and that she should go back immediately."